Purpose of the Study: Two consumer-derived measures of nursing home quality that have been underutilized by researchers are consumer complaints to the state certification agency between inspections and complaints to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This article describes these complaints, considers facility-level predictors of complaints, and…

Analyzed national survey data on nursing home ombudsman programs to document three alternative formulations of advocacy: (1) individualized/developmentally focused; (2) individualized/patients' rights-focused, and (3) facility/patients' rights-focused. Programmatic efforts will be required to address disparities in conceptions of appropriate…

Text of a Congressional hearing examining the 10-year-old Long-Term-Care Ombudsman Program funded under the Older Americans Act is presented in this document. Opening remarks are given by Representatives Wyden, Snowe, Biaggi, and Robinson. Witnesses testifying include: (1) Michio Suzuki, Associate Commissioner, Office of State and Tribal Programs,…

Describes the volunteer advocacy program developed by the East Tennessee Advocacy Assistance Program to assist the ombudsman/director in resolving problems of residents in long-term care facilities. Effective volunteer participation requires intensive training, well-defined policies and procedures, coordination with aging network and long-term…

Long-term care ombudsman programs are charged with resolving complaints and solving problems of elderly persons in long-term care settings. Conducted content analysis of annual ombudsman program reports sent to Administration on Aging from 49 states in 1990. Found substantial variation in documented information at both state and local levels and…

A survey of 754 older adults serving as ombudsmen in nursing facilities found that formal education and follow-up training enhanced efficacy. Negative initial training was the most important influence on diminished efficacy. Those with higher efficacy and more positive initial training expressed less worry. (SK)

Describes the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Project, an advocacy program designed to help residents of long-term care facilities obtain the services to which they are entitled. The author discusses setting up the project, getting started, the clinical experience, and student evaluation of their experiences. (CT)

Describes an age-integrated program serving residents in long-term care facilities in New York State. Describes the program's inception, the nature of recruitment efforts, and the content of the training program. A number of illustrations of volunteer ombudsmen interventions are presented for the purpose of providing an overview of services.…

Assessed the relationship between the presence of Oregon volunteer long-term care ombudsmen and externally handled abuse complaints, survey reports, and regulatory sanctions. Found presence of ombudsmen was related to increased abuse reporting and abuse complaint substantiation, more survey deficiencies, and higher sanction activity. (JBJ)

This annual report of the Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Program of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services begins by stating the purpose of the program: to improve the quality of life and the quality of care of older residents of long-term care facilities in Oklahoma. It is noted that the Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for the rights of long-term…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the decision-making abilities of residents in assisted living regarding abuse and neglect. Design and Methods: Twenty-seven residents in assisted living facilities were recruited for this descriptive study. Participants were administered an interview to assess baseline knowledge of support…

Examines important issues facing the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Provides a historical overview of the policy and programmatic and research issues that surround the Older Americans Act. Explains ombudsmen's activities in their local communities and explores social workers' roles under the auspices of long-term care ombudsman programs. (RJM)

This paper describes a Nursing Home Ombudsman Program, developed to provide employment for the "unemployable" older adult, that hired 19 older adults to work 20 hours per week for a year, providng friendly visits to senior residents living in nursing homes and minimum outreach services to community seniors. A two-week, eight-session orientation…

This case study, one in a series of research efforts designed to examine the utilization of the Administration on Aging's research, compares the use of two handbooks--one on nursing home ombudsman services for which high use resulted and one on residential repair and renovation for which low use resulted. An introduction describes the study that…